Shattered Princess
by sand1128
Summary: AU Sometimes we bend, sometimes we break, sometimes we need to shatter in order to heal. Riley looks back at one of the most trying times in her life.
1. Chapter 1: Memories

Sometimes we bend, sometimes we break, sometimes we need to shatter in order to heal

Standing in front of a full-length mirror, Riley's smiling eyes meet her mother's teary ones.

"Oh honey, you look gorgeous." Topanga says as she places the veil on 24-year-old Riley's head, careful not to disturb the cascading curls. One look at Topanga and you can tell she is desperately trying to hold it together. Her voice cracks as she steps back. Riley makes a few minor adjustments to the veil and stares at herself. She is dressed in what can only be described as a dress fit for a princess. Her something old is a picture of her, Maya and Farkle from the first grade, it is tucked inside her dress. Her something new is a new friendship ring from Maya because after all "Riley needs bling for her right hand." Her something borrowed is her grandmother's pearl earrings and her something blue is a baby blue garter belt under her dress. She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales in an attempt to calm her nerves. She can't believe this day has finally arrived. She can't help but marvel at how much her life has changed since she met him. She would love to say that she knew they would end up here all along but she doesn't want to lie in church. She remembers all too well, the heartache and turmoil she caused by trying to be all things to all people, instead of just being herself. How she used to put everyone else's needs before her own, how she tried with all of her might to be the best daughter, sister, friend and student but it was all at the expense of herself. In her quest to be everything for everyone, she often neglected herself in the process.

When she did have troubles, she kept them inside and they festered. They damaged her psyche, her spirit and her heart but she cracked before they got to her soul. In the end, it took an "un-Riley" like breakdown for things to come to a head. But she didn't just break…she shattered. It didn't happen right away and to the surprise of many, it didn't happen after the "brother" incident. It took some time but they all worked past their feelings or lack thereof. Thankfully, the sister bond between Riley and Maya was only strained and in no time at all, it was stronger than it had been originally. Lucas and Riley decided, together, to restart their "connection" and from there their epic love story grew. All seemed to be right in Riley's world. Then, during February of her senior year Riley's world fell to pieces.

It was a typical NY winter weekend, bitterly cold and gray. Riley, feeling under the weather, decided to spend the day in bed. She texted her friends and told them of her plans. Lucas, ignored her pleas for him to stay away, he showed up with flowers and spent the afternoon, sitting in her bay window while she tried to hide in bed. She didn't want him to see her like this, unshowered, hair a tangled mess, bright red nose and cheeks. He told her that taking care of her was part of his job as a boyfriend and that he didn't want her to think he was slacking on the job. He didn't tell her that it was in moments like this, that he fell in love with her a little more. It was during times like this, that he got to see another side of her and, to the surprise of absolutely no one, he loved learning everything he could about the one who held his heart. He loved taking care of the one who always took care of everyone else.

They had plans to attend a party at the home of one of his teammates. Lucas did not want to go without Riley but she insisted that he go and have fun…to have some "guy time" with his friends. Had he known what heartbreak that night would bring, wild horses wouldn't have been able to drag him from his seat in her bay window.

Lucas arrived at the party with Zay in tow. They agreed that they would make a token appearance and then head out to the local wing place to catch the game. Neither were really into the party scene, they preferred spending time with their small circle of friends. It was just easier, drama was at a minimum, they were able to just be themselves, and funnily enough, the group never ran out of topics to discuss. Standing in a hallway, away from all of the craziness, Lucas took a quick moment to text Riley.

"Goodnight sunshine. Hope you are feeling better. If you need me, please call me, I don't care what time it is or what you need, you call, I'll be there. I will see you in the morning. Sleep tight and dream of me. Love you"

Her reply comes almost immediately. "I always dream of you. I'll be fine…took some meds to help me sleep. Have fun with your friends and I will see you in the morning. Love you too."

He tucks his phone into the pocket of his jacket and turns to head back to the action. As he is walking past the bathroom door, it opens and Missy pulls him into the doorway and traps him between her and the door. His jacket hits the door frame, causing his cell phone to tumble to the carpet, landing without so much as a whisper.

"Hey Lucas, I've been looking for you." She says as she leans in close to him. "I love the cologne you are wearing" She reaches out and rubs his arm.

"Missy, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, I'm not interested." He politely removes her hand from her arm and stalks away. Missy re-enters the bathroom and closes the door, there behind the door is Charlie, cell phone in hand. He quickly throws open the door, steps into the hallway, bends over to pick something up and steps back into the bathroom.

"Did you get the picture Charlie?"

"Yes, I did and we hit the jackpot." Charlie opens his hand to show Lucas' cell phone.

"Perfect, that's even better. Let's up our game a little. Then you run to console Riley and I'll take care of Lucas. They shouldn't even be friends, let alone a couple. She is too goofy and immature for him."

"Back off Missy. I get you want your damn cowboy but I won't let you put down the girl I love." Charlie growls in return. His heart is racing at the thought that he might finally get his chance with Riley.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Now let's get to work."

Lucas and Zay are watching the game, eating wings when Lucas decides he wants to check in on Riley. He knows she said she would be sleeping but he wants to make sure. He checks his pants pockets and then his jacket pockets but the search for his phone comes up empty.

"Where the hell is it?" he mutters

"Where is what?" Zay asks absently, never once moving his eyes from the TV

"My phone. I can't find it." Lucas searches his jacket pockets yet again.

"Are you sure you brought it with you?" Zay asks as he reaches across Lucas to grab some napkins.

"I'm positive. I texted Riley earlier to tell her goodnight" Lucas is frustrated. He hadn't backed up his phone in a while… who knows how many pictures he's lost.

"You must have dropped it somewhere" Zay points out.

"Great, just what I need. Can I borrow your phone for a sec? I just want to text Riley and tell her that I'm going to be a little late in the morning. I'll have to pick up a new phone on my way to her house"

Zay hands his phone over and Lucas types out the message to Riley. As he clicks send, the home team scores and the place goes nuts. He returns the phone to Zay and they both jump up to celebrate. Neither of them realize that the text didn't go through…Lucas never entered the area code. (Zay's phone still has a Texas area code, so all communication requires an area code.)

Farkle and Maya are chatting on Facebook. Their chat is full of good-natured taunts and put downs. Suddenly, Farkle's Iphone is walking across his desk as his Twitter notifications are blowing up. He unlocks the screen and looks at the notifications. His heart stops and his temper rises.

"Maya…. get on Twitter now. We have a problem."

"What? What's the problem?" she asks as she opens the application

"Look at what is trending locally" Farkle barks

"#MADDOGONTHELOOSE #SUNSHINENOMORE #NOPRINCESSNEEDED #FOUNDMYQUEEN

Maya hears Farkle yelling… "Dude calm down, what are you going crazy over?"

"Maya, there are dozens of tweets and re-tweets, there are pictures of Lucas and Missy. There are tweets about how he never loved Riley, that he just felt sorry for her. That he is now rightfully with his queen." Farkle whispers… "oh no"

"What Farkle? Are they coming from Missy's account? You know she has a screw loose."

"Maya, they are from his account."

"Say what now?"

"All of the original posts are from his account." You can hear a pin drop as both of them are shocked into silence.

"Bay Window 20 minutes" Maya screams as she hangs up the phone. She throws her jacket on and races to Riley's. With each passing step, she swears that Lucas will pay for hurting Riley. In fact, she is so irate, that she calls Josh and tells him to meet her and Farkle in front of Riley's building.

Josh doesn't ask for details, he grabs a hoodie and heads out, knowing that if one of her friends, called him, Riley is in some sort of trouble.


	2. Chapter 2: Preparing for the Fall

Preparing for the fall

Josh is pacing outside of the building, thinking, when Farkle and Maya arrive. His thoughts are not good ones. For a split second, he almost didn't answer Maya's call. Lately, he has been fighting his growing feelings for her and he was afraid to give in to temptation. Suddenly, it dawned on him that Maya had never called him before, so he answered quickly, heart in his throat fearing that something was wrong.

"Josh? I didn't think you would be here yet." Maya is shocked to see him already.

"I ran and then took a cab. I know something must be wrong for you to have called me. Where is Riley? Is she OK? Tell me what is going on…. now. I need to know." Josh's voice is shaking, the look in is his eyes is a cross between wild and terrified.

"Josh, as far as we know Riley is inside sleeping but there is something very wrong going on." Farkle says as he hands his IPhone to Josh. "Promise us that you are going to stay calm, so that we can discuss this rationally and determine our course of action."

"Yeah,yeah. Give me the damn phone. I'm not making any promises until I know how this involves Riley." Josh starts scrolling through the Twitter feed. His eyes get really large, his hands clench into white knuckled fists. "Where is he?" he asks quietly, a little too quietly for anyone's comfort. His insides are shaking. How could anyone do this to his niece? How can someone who professed to love her treat her like this? If he didn't want to be in a relationship with her anymore, why didn't he just break-up with her and spare her the public humiliation?

"We don't know. He's not answering his phone. I'll be honest, until this, I thought he was my best friend. Now? I would rather fail a class then have to sit in the same room with him." This statement coming from Farkle is a testament to his anger. Everyone knows how important his grades are to him but this shows how important Riley is to him as well.

The trio is quiet for a moment, each one taking a deep breath and trying to calm themselves down. They know that if they don't handle this correctly, it could be bad for all of them.

"Here's what we are going to do. I am going to grab her phone, laptop and everything else. Josh, you handle talking to her parents. I will talk to her myself, Farkle will stand guard at the Bay Window to make sure we are not interrupted" Maya looks at each of them to make sure they know what the plan is. Hurt and anger are at war in her eyes. You can visually see her trying to reign her emotions in, knowing that she was going to have to break Riley's heart. She knows that she is not prepared to do this, to ruin the image Riley has of him, but not telling her is not an option. Lucas' cowardly actions forced their hands in this. The only concern they have now, is making sure that Riley is OK. Nothing and no one else matters.

Cory and Topanga are sitting on the couch watching the 11pm news. They are both startled when there is a knock on the door. Looking at each other quizzically, they both get up and head for the door.

"Who is it?" Cory calls out.

"It's Josh" the minute he recognizes the voice, his heart falls to his feet and he throws the door open. Why would his brother be knocking on his door, this late? Something must be wrong... very wrong.

"Josh!" Cory pulls Josh through the door and into his arms. "What's wrong? Are you OK? Is it mom? Dad? Tell me whatever it is, I can handle it." Saying it was one thing, meaning it is something else entirely.

"Cory calm down. Mom and Dad are fine. We are all fine." Cory looks up and sees Maya and Farkle standing there, concern evident on their faces.

"What's going on? Why are the 3 of you here?" Topanga asks frantically. She knows Riley is in her room sleeping, she is at a complete loss as to why they are standing in front of her.

"Sis, we are here because Riley is going to need all of us." Josh answers quietly

"What? Why? What are you talking about?" Cory and Topanga are now both frantic.

"Let's sit down and I will tell you what's going on. Maya, Farkle, take care of things." Maya and Farkle head towards Riley's room.

"I am going to show you guys some stuff that is being blasted all over social media. It has to do with Riley."

"Riley?" Cory asked completely puzzled.

"I promise once you see what I'm talking about, you will understand what's going on."

Josh hands Farkle's IPhone to Cory. It only takes seconds for him to reach his breaking point. He calmly hands the phone to Topanga, takes a deep breath and coldly asks "Where is he?"

Josh has never seen this side of his brother and thankfully, he is not going to be the one on the receiving end of his anger. "We don't know. He hasn't answered any calls or texts from Maya and Farkle."

"Maya is grabbing Riley's laptop and phone so Riley can't see anything. Farkle is standing guard at the window. We hope Lucas isn't stupid enough to show his face around here after this but we can't be certain. Maya wants to be the one to tell her about the tweets and pictures." Josh looks at Topanga as she has finished reading the messages. Her heard her gasp and as he watched, he saw her steel her backbone and compose herself, in this moment, she truly is an Amazon Woman.

"I will kill him myself." Topanga growls. Her heart hurts, she thought for sure Lucas loved her daughter. He was there that very afternoon, taking care of his princess. How did he manage to fool all of them?

Farkle walks quietly into Riley's room, locks the bay window, closes the drapes and sits. He looks over at Riley's bed, she is under a pile of blankets, only the very top of her head is visible. He watches as Maya picks up all of Riley's electronics and heads out the door. He can't believe the situation they are in. How do you prepare yourself? How do you look into the eyes of your "sister" and tell her something that you know, without a doubt, is going to hurt her? At that moment, Farkle wished his biceps were bigger than his brains. He would love nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of Lucas. To hurt him as much as he has hurt them. He can't wrap his head around what Lucas has done. How evil must you be to hurt someone like Riley? The worse part for him is that Lucas did it so publicly and that is the cruelest part of the whole thing. Maya walks back into the room and sits next to Farkle.

"I gave everything to Josh to give to her mom." She whispers.

"Did Josh say how they took the news?"

"He said they are angry, hurt and stunned. They never could have imagined Lucas doing this to anyone, let alone doing it to Riley"

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"Riley is going to be OK right?"

"I hope so Farkle. But no matter what, she has us. We will help her through it. Are you OK Farkle? He's your best friend"

"You mean was…he was my best friend. I can't be friends with someone like that. He sure had us all fooled didn't he?"

Sitting in that bay window, in the dark of night, both of them realize that this will be the toughest thing they have ever dealt with, it made the "triangle" back in middle school look like a playground fight. Both are scared but resolute. They will do whatever they need to, to make sure Riley is OK. Both know that this is going to hurt Riley, but they never thought it would lead to her personal destruction.

Somewhere, in a bedroom across town, Lucas climbs into bed, thinking of Riley, hoping that she is starting to feel better. As soon as she is up to it, he wants to take her ice skating. She is getting better at it but is still a little clumsy on skates. He doesn't mind, it gives him plenty of opportunities to hold her hand or to hold her in his arms. As Lucas gently nods off to sleep he has a smile on his face and his Riley on his mind. He is blissfully unaware that they are out there, destroying his whole world. His name, his reputation and worst of all, his Riley.

Missy and Charlie are laughing themselves silly as they post their final tweet of the night.

MissyBradford I love you with all my heart. We will be together soon. #youaremyqueen #princessesareforlittleboys #imallman

CowboyLuke I can't wait until we are together all the time I love you #saveahorserideacowboy

"Done and done. By this time tomorrow Charlie, Riley will be yours for the taking. I will be with Lucas, as I should have been all along." Missy hands the phone to Charlie. "Make sure you throw this out on your way home. We wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands now, would we?" Charlie pockets the phone and starts the walk home. He stops a few blocks from Missy's, takes out the memory card, puts it in his pocket and throws the phone away. He has a brief moment of sanity and wonders if hurting Riley was really the only way to go. The thought leaves as quickly as it came. Riley should have been his after the Semi-Formal but she always went towards that damn cowboy. He finishes his walk home, formulating his plan to make Riley his.


	3. Chapter 3: The Fall

The Fall

Riley wakes up still completely encased in her blankets. She feels a little better but doesn't want to leave her warm, little cocoon. She moves her arm out to reach for her cell phone, which is always on her night table, but it's not there. This causes her to pause, it is ALWAYS on her night table right near her head so that if anyone contacts her during the night, it is handy. She slowly pushes herself into an upright position and looks around her room. She doesn't remember closing the curtains on her window last night but then again everything after taking the cold medicine is kind of fuzzy. She gets out of bed and begins to look for her phone. She tears apart her bed, thinking perhaps she dozed off with it in her hand after texting with Lucas. Her search comes up empty. She walks to the curtains and opens them to allow the morning sunlight in. She is reaching to unlock the window when she hears her door open. Turning her head, she's surprised to see Maya, Farkle and Josh in her doorway.

"Morning Riles" Maya says quietly

"Morning. Why are you guys here so early?" Riley says just as quietly; her voice still raspy from her cold.

"It's after 10." Farkle points out

"After 10? I NEVER sleep so late! I have to find my phone, I missed my morning chat with Lucas." Riley starts to look around the room.

"Hey Riles. Come sit with me for a sec." Maya says as she sits on Riley's bed.

"Maya, I need to text Lucas first. I don't want him to worry" Riley is still frantically searching for her phone.

"Riley, please sit next to Maya. She needs to talk to you. Captain Howdy can wait." Josh says a little forcefully.

Riley is shocked by Josh's order. She sits down next to Maya, Maya grabs her hands and takes a deep breath but before she can utter a word, Farkle spots Lucas on the fire escape. As everyone watches, he runs through Riley's room and closes the curtains.

"Farkle! What are you doing?! Let him in." Riley demands.

"Riley, we need to talk first and Lucas can't be here" Maya explains.

"What? Why not?" Riley is getting agitated. "Well then tell me what you need to say so I can see Lucas"

Slowly, quietly and as gently as possible, Maya tells Riley about the tweets and pictures. Surprisingly, Riley never utters a sound. No defense, no gasps of shock, nothing. Josh walks over to her and lifts her chin so that he can look in her eyes. What he sees scares him, it's like she's not there, she's not blinking, her eyes are blank and for a split second he's not even sure she's breathing. Josh looks over at Farkle, "Go get her mom NOW!" He grabs Riley's wrist with his other hand, fingers on her pulse, he needs to feel it, needs the reassurance that she is still there. He feels himself slipping into an uncontrollable rage…his niece, his emotional but lovable happy go lucky niece isn't there. Sure her body is physically there but that's it.

Topanga races into Riley's room with Farkle. Josh steps away from his niece and runs out into the living room. He grabs his hoodie and throws the door open, standing in the hallway about to knock is Lucas. Josh doesn't make a sound as he rears back and punches him in the jaw. Lucas falls back into the opposite side of the hallway. Completely shocked and completely at a loss as to what just happened.

Cory pushes Josh into the hallway and steps out behind him, closing the door. Josh and Cory are staring at Lucas with murderous intent. Lucas is stunned, he has never been looked at with such hate before, and that it's Riley's family doing the staring is starting to scare him.

Meanwhile, in Riley's room, Topanga, Maya and Farkle are huddled around Riley. Riley still has not yet made a sound.

"Riley,honey? It's ok to be upset princess, let it out." Topanga implores, hoping that Riley is listening.  
Maya and Farkle look at each other in shock. In all of their planning, they never considered such an "un-Riley" like reaction. They were mad when they found out about the tweets, now the anger is giving way to fear.

"Mom? Where's my phone?" Riley asks quietly.

"Right here." Topanga takes it out of her pocket.

Riley takes her phone from her mother's hand. She unlocks it and scrolls through her messages. She stops scrolling and hands the phone to Farkle "Read it out loud"

Farkle, having no idea what is coming, starts to read the messages out loud. Once he sees the nature of the messages he stumbles and stops.

"READ THEM FARKLE" Riley demands in a tormented voice.

"Why would he be with you? You are nothing but an immature little girl."

"You're a substitute for Missy, we all know it and now you know too"

"He's hot, you're not"

"He's strong and you are weak and pathetic."

"You know he's only with you because he wants a good grade from your dad"

"That's it! That's enough! I'm not reading this garbage anymore Riley! Why didn't you tell us this was going on? Didn't you promise after the last time that if something like this ever happened again, you would tell us." Farkle shouts. He's beyond furious. Most of it is directed at the senders but a tiny,little part of his anger is directed at Riley. Yes, he knows it's unfair for him to feel this way but he also knows that he feels betrayed that she didn't come to any of them when the messages started. After the agony she went through the first time she was bullied, he couldn't believe history was repeating itself.

Maya is completely dumbfounded. She has no idea what to say. She is just staring at Riley, waiting for something. A yell, a gasp, for her to cry, something…anything would be better than this silence.

Riley, lifts her head silently and looks at her friends before turning to her mother. "I'm sorry…" is all she is able to get out before she finally shatters. In seconds, Maya, Farkle and her mom are holding her in their arms…each one desperately praying for her.

Out in the hallway, Lucas summons the courage to speak "Josh, what the hell was that about?"

Josh lunges for him again but Cory steps between them and holds Josh at bay.

Cory looks at Lucas with disgust. "Mr. Friar, I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face around here. I don't know what you hoped to accomplish with your little act but if I ever find you near my daughter again, I will end you. I strongly suggest you get your ass out of here before I let him loose."

Lucas is completely distraught. He has no idea what's going on and now Mr. Matthews, is telling him that he is not allowed near Riley. He staggers back and leans against the hallway wall. His eyes are wild and he is visibly shaking. "Sir, I n-n-need to s-s-see R-Riley." He hears himself stuttering but continues on.

"No, you will not see her. I don't want you anywhere near her. Now get out before I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing." Josh and Cory step back into the apartment and slam the door.

Lucas sinks to the floor, head in his hands, he is completely devastated. He desperately needs to know what happened. He refuses to give up Riley. He doesn't understand why anyone would even think he would. In her, he found his forever. She was it. He never even looked at anyone else, why would he when he had her? He slowly rises to his feet, takes one last look at her door, and begins to walk down the hallway. He is functioning on auto-pilot right now. He has no clue why is entire world just blew up but he vows not to rest until he knows why, until he fixes it and until someone is punished.

Riley cries silently until she falls asleep. Topanga pulls the blankets over Riley and silently motions for Maya and Farkle to follow her out the door.

When they get to the living room, Cory is pacing and Josh is holding a bag of frozen peas against his knuckles.

"Honey, is Riley alright?" Cory asks Topanga, terrified of her answer.

"No, she's not" Topanga answers quietly "Josh-what happened to your hand?"

"My brother here, decided to do an imitation of Tyson and punched Lucas in the face." Cory still can't believe that the fired up man in the hallway was his little brother.

"I'm glad someone did. Maya,Farkle, Thank you for being there for Riley. Cory and I need to discuss what happened. We will have Riley call you when she wakes up." Topanga walks over to each of them and gives them a tight hug.

The room is silent for a few minutes after the kids leave. Topanga begins to tell Cory and Josh about the text messages that Riley had been receiving. The anger in the room is almost a visible being. Josh can hardly contain himself, he wants to find out who sent the messages and beat them senseless. Then he wants to do the same to Lucas.

Lucas walks into his room without even realizing how he got home. He sends a text message to Zay

"Z-this is my new number. I need your help man. Can you come over now?"

"What's up man? Everything OK?"

"No. Nothing is OK. Something happened with Riley."

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know. Her dad wouldn't let me in the door, told me if he catches me near her he will end me and her uncle Josh punched me in the face."

"WTF? I'm on my way."

Lucas decides to text Farkle, anxious to see if he knows anything.

"Hey man. It's Lucas. Do you know what's going on with Riley?"

"Lucas? I don't know anyone by that name"

"What are you talking about? I'm your best friend you doof. I have a new phone number."

"Nope..still nothing. I HAD a best friend by that name but he's dead to me now"

Lucas stares at his phone. What the hell is happening? Has he fallen into a new universe?

He sends a text to Maya "Hey Maya. It's Lucas. Do you know what's going on with Riley?"

Her reply is immediate "Drop dead A-hole"

It dawns on Lucas that something is seriously wrong. Something had to have happened for everyone to hate him. But what? His last conversation with Riley was via text by nothing out of the ordinary. Certainly not enough to warrant the absolute hatred being sent in his direction. He sits on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone, he has sent several frantic messages to Riley but hasn't gotten a reply. He is completely lost. He doesn't know what to do with himself, doesn't even know where to start. He feels himself shutting down and Texas Lucas rising to the surface. Whoever hurt Riley will pay. He whispers "Riley, I don't know what's going on but I will find out. I love you Princess"

Topanga, Cory and Josh are sitting around the kitchen table, Riley is still in her room, Auggie is at Ava's.

"What I can't wrap my head around is why Lucas would do something like that… He never struck me as the type to act like that. Even if his feelings for Riley changed, I still can't see him being so rude and disrespectful." Cory ponders.

"I should have hit him harder" Josh mutters

Topanga suddenly looks up, wide eyed and nervous "Lucas was here yesterday taking care of "his princess", Riley told him in the morning to stay away so he didn't get sick, he said that he didn't care, that he would be slacking in his role as the boyfriend if he wasn't taking care of her. He didn't want to go to the party without her last night, Riley kept insisting he go enjoy his "guy time". Something doesn't add up. Lucas has been many things in all the years we have known him but he has never been so blatantly hateful. This is completely out of character for him." Cory starts to think about everything and he realizes that Topanga is right, the Lucas he knows (and has known for almost 5 years) would never dream of hurting Riley like this. Once Riley is better, he will think about why Lucas could be acting this way.

As the clock starts to hit the later hours of the afternoon, Josh decides to go check on Riley. He needs to see how she is handling everything. He also wants to make sure she knows that if she ever needs him, for any reason, that she is to call and he will drop everything for her.

He opens her door and walks around her bed to see if she is peeking out from under the blankets.

"CORY! TOPANGA!"

They come rushing in "What?"

Josh holds up a piece of paper, tears rolling down his cheeks "She's gone"

"GONE?! What do you mean gone?!" Cory grabs the paper from Josh.

 _Mom, Dad, Auggie and Josh-_

 _By the time you see this note, I will be on my way to see Aunt Morgan. I can't stay here right now. I need time and space to figure out everything that has happened. I know you might not understand but I need to be away from everyone. I'm broken and I need to work on fixing myself…for myself. I have enough money with me and I have the emergency credit card in my wallet. Please don't be mad at Aunt Morgan. She doesn't know any of the details and I told her that I was making this trip with your blessing._

 _Dad- I am going to need your help with my teachers, I don't want to fall so far behind that I can't graduate in June._

 _Mom- I'm sorry I am not as strong as you, I guess I still have a little way to go before I can say I'm an Amazon woman like my mother._

 _Auggie- I will call you every day so we can talk about what's going on with you and Ava and anything else you want to…_

 _Josh- I ask that you be the one to tell Maya, Farkle and Zay that I've gone. I don't know when I'll be back._

 _Please don't be mad, I need to do this for me. I love you all so much but I need to learn how to love myself just as much. I should be arriving at Aunt Morgan's by nightfall. I will call you to let you know I have arrived safely._

 _Love, Riley_

 _PS- Please don't blame Lucas for my leaving. It's not his fault, I guess I just wasn't what he wanted any more._

Zay walks in to see Lucas sitting on his bed grasping his cellphone so tightly his knuckles are white. "Hey man. Let's figure out what's going on."

Silently Lucas hands him the phone, Zay reads through the messages from Farkle and Maya. "What? Where is this coming from?" Zay whips out his phone and sends a text to Farkle

"F- Hey. Do you know what's going on with Riley?"

"Ask your buddy Z… he knows what he did."

"F-I'm telling you my boy has no clue."

"Nice try. Tell Cowboy Luke to go spend time with his "Queen" and stay the hell away from all of us."

Zay looks over at Lucas "Not sure what this means…but Farkle said to stay away from everyone and to tell Cowboy Luke to go spend time with his "Queen". Any ideas?"

Lucas looks up puzzled "What does that even mean? Queen? Cowboy Luke? Who even calls me that?"

Z looks down at his phone as his twitter notifications start to blow up now that his phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

His stomach hits his feet "Ummm…. Lucas…. I think I found the problem"

A/N: Sorry to end it there. I LOATHE cliff-hangers but the chapter was getting too long. I am already working on the next chapter and plan to update within the next day or so.


	4. Chapter 4: Scattered Pieces

**A/N:** I know some of you have questioned about why everyone assumed Lucas was guilty. In these types of situations, it is not uncommon to react first and then step back to review everything once the immediate problem has passed. In this story, everyone's main concern was Riley. Yes, it is OOC for Lucas to behave that way but at a quick glance, the fact that the tweets were being originated from his account was enough "evidence" to suggest he was guilty.

 **Scattered Pieces**

Riley arrives at the doorstep of her Aunt Morgan's house. She is worn to a nub. She is physically and emotionally exhausted.

Morgan welcomes her with open arms and a few harsh words.

"Welcome Sweetie! I'm so glad to see you."

"Thanks Aunt Morgan. I'm happy to see you too." Riley replies putting her duffel bag down. She feels her eyes fill up as she is enveloped in her Aunt's hug.

"Riley, I know you didn't talk to your parents before coming here. I know something is wrong. I spoke to your parents. They told me that you left on your own and that you weren't OK. They didn't tell me what was going on… I want you to call them right now and tell them that you are here." Morgan admonished her niece.

Riley picked up Morgan's phone and called her parents. They were relieved that she arrived safely, but were disappointed that she didn't feel that she could talk to them. They made her promise to keep them in the loop and to call them immediately if she needed anything. She promised and told them that she would call the next night to talk to them and Auggie. After she hung up the phone with them, she curled up next to her Aunt on the couch.

"Before we start, give me your cell phone sweetie." Riley hands her phone over. "Tomorrow, we will go down and get you a new phone number." Morgan double checks that the phone is off and puts it in her pocket.

"So tell me pretty girl, what's going on? Not that I'm not happy to see you but what made you run?" Morgan asked in her usual blunt manner.

Riley immediately burst into tears. Morgan, shocked by the outburst, simply wrapped her arms around her niece and tried to console her.

"Shhh…calm down sweetie. You are going to make yourself sick. Take a deep breath and tell your Aunt Morgan whose ass she needs to kick." This drew a reluctant smile from Riley and she slowly stopped crying.

"Mine…you need to kick mine Aunt Morgan." Riley answered quietly.

"That is nonsense my girl. This is not the Riley I know and I want to know why and I want to know now."

"It's not a pretty story."

"It never is pumpkin but you are going to tell me any way and we will figure out what we need to do to make it a happy story."

Riley snuggled into her aunt's side, took a few calming breaths and started to tell her everything. She talked about the first time she was bullied, she talked about the "triangle", she talked about her current bully and finally she talked about the situation with Lucas. How despite it all, she still loved him. Morgan remained silent throughout her monologue, she could tell that Riley desperately needed to get everything off her chest. That she needed someone who didn't know all of the people involved. And most importantly… she needed someone who wouldn't judge her for breaking down or for loving Lucas.

Josh asked Maya and Farkle to meet him at Topanga's. He was hoping that by meeting in a public place, neither would lose their cool when he told them that Riley went to Philadelphia. Cory and Topanga decided that they were NOT going to say that Riley ran. They were going to tell her friends and anyone else who asked, that she went to help take care of her Aunt. Josh knew that her besties would see right through this but he was going to follow orders. When he arrived, Maya and Farkle had already staked out a corner table. Both looked exhausted, the situation was draining for all of them.

"Maya,Farkle" Josh acknowledges the duo as he pulls out a chair.

"Hey Josh" Farkle responds quietly, Maya just nods hello. "Is Riley up for some company yet?"

"N-n-no not yet." Josh stammers. "Umm, see, ah, the thing is…Riley isn't here she's…."

His explanation is cut-off. "What? Where is she?!" Maya jumps out of her chair. "Tell me where she is Josh- I'm not letting her go through this alone!"

"Maya, she's not alone, I promise. She's with family right now. She has asked for some time to work through everything" Josh's heart starts to break when he sees the utter look of devastation on their faces. He knows that the 3 of them are as thick as thieves, but he also knows that if Riley wants to be by herself right now, it's the best thing for her.

"But…. why? We always work through problems together! What…" Maya is stunned and hurt. They have never been apart when one was hurting… that's what sisters do, band together to kick the crap out of the idiot doing the hurting.

It hurts Josh to see Maya in pain and when he turns to look at Farkle, he's shocked by the anger on his face.

"Dr. Turtleneck, you OK?"

"No Josh, I'm not. Would you be ok? In the span of 24 hours I've lost 2 of my best friends. Riley is gone and Lucas might as well be." Farkle is seething but he's not 100% certain where to direct his anger. He's mad (and hurt) at Riley for not coming to them when the messages started and for running. Of course, he is mad at whoever is sending the messages. He doesn't understand how anyone can bully someone…let alone someone like Riley. He's furious at Lucas for handling things so publicly…he's also shocked, until he saw the tweets, he thought for sure that Rucas was end game. They had worked through their issues with the whole brother thing and their nervousness around each other. If he had been pressed, he would have told anyone who asked that he was certain their relationship was just as, if not more, epic than Corpanga was. He feels betrayed by Lucas too. He has long been a Rucas shipper and it hurts that he was wrong. He never handles being wrong well, but when his being wrong hurts one of his "women"? He finds he can't handle it at all.

"Look guys, I know this is tough to hear right now. It's tough on all of us. This is not about us, Riley needs to be our main concern. I am telling you…no I am swearing to you, that as soon as Riley tells her parents that she is ready to talk to any of us or ready to come home, you will be told immediately. Riley asks us all for so little, we have to give her this." Josh stands, reaches over the table to hug Maya and Farkle. "She's with family. She's not alone. As soon as she's OK- we will go get her. Now you both need to promise me that you will keep calm and not overreact to any of this."

"Josh, with all due respect. I will not make a promise I'm not sure I can keep. I will promise to do my best to stay calm. That's the best I can offer." Maya retorted with Farkle nodding his head in agreement.

"Ok, I guess that will have to do. In case no one has said anything lately. Thank you. Thank you for being part of the Riley protection squad. We are all lucky that you are a part of her life." With those parting words Josh heads out of Topanga's and heads to Riley's house.

Lucas is so beyond mad, he's in a whole other world. When Zay showed him the locally trending hashtags he went nuts. He punched a hole in his bedroom door, 2 in his wall and even that did little to appease him. He and Zay spent hours trying to figure out what happened. Hours that he also spent desperately trying to get in touch with Riley. He figures that Riley and her family have seen the tweets. It would explain the reaction he got from her family and why she would be ignoring him now. Besides being absolutely livid at the situation, he is hurt. How could she think that he would do that to her? How could her family? Their friends? They should have known him better than that by now. He is standing in front of his bedroom mirror, just staring at himself. He would never admit this to anyone else but he's scared. What if the group can't come back from this? It would hurt to lose his friends but it would absolutely kill him to lose Riley. She is…everything. He's not sure where he would be without her in his life. He has known her since 7th grade, they have been a couple for years, hearing her voice brings the butterflies back to life and he gets goosebumps as soon as he sees her, every damn time.

"Ok Lucas, let's go over everything one more time. Here's what we think happened. When Missy accosted you in the hallway, you dropped your phone, she must have picked it up and being the royal biotch that she is, started the crap on twitter." Zay explained rather bluntly. Lucas just nodded his head. He didn't want to say anything just yet; he was trying to reign in his temper.

"How do you want to handle this Luke? We need Missy to admit her part in this."

"I know, not sure how we are going to get that to happen. Can you try texting Riley again? I know she doesn't want to talk to me right now but I need to know that she's OK" Lucas is ready to climb the walls. He wants her to reply, even if it's to tell him off. He just needs something, anything from her.

Zay sends another text to Riley…. This too goes unanswered.

"Let's call it a night Lucas. We will see Riley in the morning at school. Tomorrow after practice we will decide how to handle Missy. Don't say anything or approach Riley first. Let her come to you. You don't want her to be on the defensive. I promise, you will get a chance to talk to her and while we are at it, I have something to say to Maya and Farkle. They should know you better than that by now."

"Yes, they should have but I'm more worried about Riley. Z man, I can't lose her. She makes it all bearable…." Lucas whispers quietly.

"We will handle it man. Hang in there. You will see her in the morning and we can begin to straighten this out. Now get some sleep, you look like crap." Z laughs as he walks out the door.

Sleep proved to be elusive for Lucas that night. He ended up spending the night looking through photos of the 2 of them. He was upset at himself for not backing up the photos on his phone. He has no idea how many photos of her were on his memory card. Once his alarm went off, he took a quick shower, threw something on and headed to school. He wanted to be in the hallway when Riley walked in. All he needed was to see her and he was certain the knot in the pit of his stomach would lessen.

His waiting was in vain, he walked to his first class with his head down, dragging his feet. It was going to be a long day.

In between 3rd and 4th periods, he saw Mr. Matthews talking to Mr. Meyer, one of Riley's teachers. He walked as close as he could, hoping that he could hear what was being said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie walk up to Mr. Matthews (he didn't like Charlie. Hadn't since the semi-formal in 7th grade and then when he talked about Riley's quirks at her NYE party all those years ago…he was lucky he didn't pop him one)

"Mr. Matthews, I haven't seen Riley today. Is she OK?" Charlie interrupted the conversation between the two teachers.

"Actually Charlie, Riley won't be around for a while." Lucas swore he felt his heart stop in that moment.

"Why not? Can I stop by and see her this afternoon?" Charlie asked with some hope.

"No can do Charlie; Riley won't be home for a while. She's gone away."

Gone? What does he mean gone? Where the hell is she? Lucas feels himself starting to panic. He needs to find her. He can't fix this if she's not around. He HAS to fix this.

"Sir?" Charlie asks robotically.

"There was some…stuff…that occurred over the weekend. Mrs. Matthews and I thought it best that Riley not be exposed to anything else so she is taking an extended leave" Mr. Matthews explains tiredly without giving away too many details.

Upon hearing this, Lucas walks down the hall and out of the school. He just can't be there right now. He needs to go someplace where he can be alone, where he can lose his cool without any witnesses. Where he can yell, scream and cry over this latest heartbreak. He starts to think that Riley would be better off without him, the only problem? He's not sure he can survive without her.

Lucas is not present when Charlie starts to bad mouth him and talk about the trash on Twitter, which also means he's not present when Mr. Matthews loses his cool and barks "Look Charlie. I can't discuss this with you. All I know for sure is my daughter is hurt right now. My next concern is that something is wrong with Lucas. He may have done some bad things in his past, but he has not, nor would he ever, intentionally hurt my daughter." As Cory walks away, he realizes what he said…but if it Lucas didn't post those messages, who did and how?


	5. Chapter 5: Snap Decisions

**Snap Decisions**

After another sleepless night, Lucas decides that he is not going to classes that day. Since he knows there is no chance of seeing Riley, he'd rather stay home and try to piece his life back together. Oh, he hasn't given up on her, far from it in fact. He wants to resolve this situation in a way that would make Riley proud…which means he needs to focus on himself. He needs to think rationally about how to proceed. It would be too easy to just let his emotions dictate his actions. He smiles to himself. Even when she's not around, he swears he can hear her voice in his ear, telling him that he is so much more than a hothead who uses his fists. Every day, he thanks his lucky stars that she fell into his lap that day on the subway. It's funny how much she has him wrapped around her finger. All it took was being herself. He loves all of her little quirks. He is thankful that no one looked past them because he loves discovering what lies beyond them. He wants to be a better man FOR her. Not because she asked him to change but because she deserves the world. She has never made him feel like he couldn't be himself. Sure, she would give him a little "side eye" look when she thought he was going to react without thinking things through but she never asked him to be anything other than himself. Shortly after meeting her all those years ago, he found himself craving her attention. She looked past the outer wrapping and saw HIM. How could he not want that? Her belief in him coupled with her smile was the perfect 1-2 punch. Before he knew it, he was head over heels for her. Not that he did or said anything about his feelings right away. The first time they tried dating, it was painful. Suddenly, they couldn't talk to each other. Things went a bit off-track after that. Neither of them were quite sure what their status was. It was a tortuous few months after that. It wasn't until she "brother zoned" him and tried to push him towards Maya that he fully realized that he would do anything to make her happy…even if it meant giving her up. Thankfully, he didn't have to. Farkle started off the New Year by yelling out that Riley was still in love with Lucas. In that moment, Lucas knew that no matter what it took, he and Riley were going to be together. Things progressed naturally and in no time they were a couple. Here he is all these years later and he finds himself fighting for her….for them. After a few minutes of reminiscing, he starts to plan his course of action… he will get to the bottom of this and then he's going after his heart.

Zay has been avoiding Maya and Farkle. He wanted all of his energy and time to be on helping Lucas. As he sits down in the quad during his free period, they approach him.

"Hey Zay." Farkle greets him as he and Maya sit down.

"Hey" Zay would love nothing more than to get up and walk away from them but he admits to being curious about what they have to say.

The 3 of them sit in silence for a moment. Zay, deciding that this is not a good idea, gathers his stuff and stands up.

"Zay, where are you going?" Maya asks.

"I've got things to do" Zay can feel himself getting ready to unleash on them.

"C'mon Zay don't be like that. Just because we aren't friends with Lucas any more, doesn't mean we can't be friends with you." Maya remarks as she looks at Farkle.

"You know what. Yes, it does mean that we can't be friends. Why would I want to be friends with people who turn on someone like you guys did to Lucas?! Did either of you talk to him? Ask him about what happened? No, you didn't. You immediately found him guilty…no judge…no jury. Let me ask you this… in all the years you have known him, has he EVER intentionally hurt Riley? No, he hasn't. See, I didn't even need a second to think about it because I KNOW Lucas. He would NEVER intentionally hurt or upset Riley. She means everything to him. He worships her. He would sooner hurt himself than her. So, no…. we can't be friends." Zay explodes on them.

"Zay...we…" Farkle tries to interject.

"No, I don't want to hear it. Too little too late. Oh and for what it's worth? Lucas lost his cellphone at the party the other night. So while you guys were finding HIM guilty, HE was upset about losing his pictures of RILEY, about how RILEY was sick and HE wouldn't know if SHE needed him." Zay storms down the hall. He didn't want to say anything to them but he was damn sure not going to let them think he didn't know what was going on. Who needs friends like that?

Maya and Farkle are still standing in the quad. Neither one has said a word. They are both lost in their thoughts.

"Farkle? We made a huge mistake didn't we?"

"Yes we did Maya. I can't believe neither of us thought things through before going to Riley. Can't believe we ever thought that he would do that to her." Farkle, a guy who is supposed to be a "genius", feels like an absolute idiot. Zay was right, they did find Lucas guilty without any discussion. Now he prays that Riley AND Lucas can forgive them. That by trying to protect Riley, they haven't just destroyed her instead.

The Matthews family, sans Riley, is sitting around the kitchen table. It is almost time for Riley's nightly call.

Auggie looks at the expressions on the faces of his mom, dad, Uncle Josh and decides he is going to ask the question that should have been asked in the beginning. "Who would have done this to Riley? I know you guys think Lucas did but I don't think he would do that."

"Why not Auggie?" Josh asks.

"Because he loves her. He promised me all those years ago that he would never hurt her. I believed in him then and I believe in him now. How come none of you do? Did any of you ASK him about what was said?"

"No, we didn't bubba." Cory answers

"Well, why not? Besides do you really think Riley would love someone who could act like that? I don't."

The adults are stunned into silence.

"You are a smart kid Auggie." Topanga says as she looks at Cory.

"I think we need to get everyone together. Farkle, Maya, Zay, the four of us and Lucas. We need to get to the bottom of this. Let's see if they can come here tomorrow after school." Cory remarks as he looks around the table.

"What are we going to do dad?" Auggie questions

"We are going to do what we should have done in the beginning…. ask Lucas what happened."

A/N: I chose to end this chapter here as the next chapter is going to be really long and I didn't want the significance of this chapter to get lost. Finally, everyone is starting to realize that things aren't always what they seem.

The next chapter will focus on the conversation with Lucas and Riley gets a visit from an older and wiser family friend.


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets

**Secrets**

Cory sends text messages to everyone asking them to come to their house at 6pm the following evening. Zay realizing that the number used for Lucas is the old one, forwards the message to Lucas.

"Hey Lucas. Riley's dad is asking us to all to come over. He sent this message to your old number."

"I'll be there."

"Me too. Just so you know. I blasted Maya and Farkle today. They wanted to pretend like they had nothing to do with the whole situation."

"Thanks Z but you don't need to jeopardize your friendships with them for me."

"Luke- if they could turn on you that fast, I don't want to be friends with them at all. I only got friendly with them because of you. If you aren't a part of their group- then neither am I. Will you be in class tomorrow?"

"No. I'm going to take another day and depending on the outcome of this meeting, maybe longer."

"Ok…I'll meet you outside and we will walk in together. No matter what happens man, I've got your back."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Riley and her Aunt Morgan are chatting in Philadelphia.

"How are you feeling today honey?"

"I'm OK Aunt Morgan. I've been doing a lot of thinking. Do you think it's bad that I haven't tried to contact anyone outside of my family?"

"Not at all Riley. When you are ready to talk to them, you will. Until then you need to concentrate on you. "

"It just feels so weird. I normally talk to them every day."

"It's a difficult situation you are in but you need to worry about yourself first. If they are truly your friends, they will patiently wait to hear from you and if they don't, then I would question their friendship. Now, what do you say to us watching some TV and then calling it a night?"

"Sounds good." They both snuggled into the couch and started to watch TV. Within minutes, Riley was sound asleep. Morgan sat staring at her niece for a few minutes. She couldn't help but marvel at how, even now, Riley was more concerned about her friends than herself.

The next evening

Lucas met Zay in front of the Matthew's apartment building. Zay couldn't help but notice that Lucas looked terrible. He was as far from "Mr. Perfect" as you can get.

"Lucas- are you sure you are up to this?"

"Honestly, no but what am I going to do Z? Everyone that will be in that room is important to Riley. She's important to me so I have to see what this is about. Have you had any luck coming up with ideas to try and trap Missy into admitting the tweets were from her?"

"Not yet. Honestly, my mind has been on you and Riley. We will find a way to get Missy. Don't you worry."

"I have never wanted to smack a woman more. I never would, my momma raised me better than that, but man do I wish I could!"

Zay chuckles and pats Lucas on the back. "I hear you man. Let's get up there and see what this is about."

The guys trudge into the building and make their way to the Matthews' apartment. Lucas knows that walking into that apartment, knowing that Riley is somewhere else, is going to hurt. He also knows that if he is going to have any chance at talking to Riley, he needs to settle things with her family.

Zay knocks on the door. Josh opens the door and waves them in. Everyone else is already there.

"Come on in guys." Josh is stunned to see how devastated Lucas looks. It makes him question everything that has happened to this point. All it takes is looking in his eyes to know that Lucas had nothing to do with the social media stuff. Lucas' eyes are bloodshot and empty. His trademark grin is nowhere to be found. He looks like a guy who has lost everything. A guilty feeling settles in his stomach. He reacted without thinking things through. Now he realizes that Lucas never fought back that night. He was stunned after Josh popped him one and if there was ever a time Texas Lucas should have appeared it was then…but he didn't. He just sat on the hallway floor, leaning against the hallway wall confused and scared. All he wanted was to see Riley. He remembers how he looked after Cory told him to stay away from Riley. He was absolutely crestfallen. Josh can't help but hope that Lucas is able to forgive him.

"Lucas, please have a seat." Topanga offers.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Matthews, I'll stand but thank you." Lucas replies as respectful as always.

There is a quick moment of silence. No one is quite sure where to start.

Auggie decides to get things rolling

"Hey Lucas. How are you?"  
"Hey Auggie, I'm breathing."

Auggie looks back at Cory "Dad?"

"Lucas, it has finally occurred to all of us that we owe you a massive apology. We all reacted without giving any thought to what we were doing or saying. It was Auggie who pointed out that we should have known better than to think you would ever intentionally hurt Riley. I know it may be too little too late but can you forgive us and then tell us what you know about what happened?" Cory looks at Lucas pleadingly. He can only hope Lucas is forgiving… he is certain that Riley won't be when she finds out how they treated him.

"I will be honest with you all. Yes, I am very hurt that you all automatically assumed I was guilty. That being said, you are all important to Riley and she is vitally important to me so I will forgive you. I just want to make sure you all understand… I will NEVER intentionally hurt Riley. EVER. In the future, should anything ever happen to cause Riley to want to stop seeing me, SHE will have to be the one to tell me. Josh, I was too stunned to react the other day, knowing what you guys thought I did, I can understand you swinging. If I ever do anything to hurt Riley, you have my permission to beat the crap out of me. I am telling you all right here, right now, when I think of my future, Riley is the biggest part of it." Lucas pauses to look around the room, he wants to be certain everything he has said has sunk in.

"Now, as for what happened, the best Zay and I have been able to determine, is that I lost my cellphone the other night at the party. I didn't realize it until later that evening when I went to text Riley to see how she was feeling. We think that Missy is the one behind all of this. She cornered me at the party right after I texted Riley to say goodnight. That is the last time I am 100% certain I had my phone. We all know Missy is not a fan of Riley or of my relationship with Riley. Those tweets were made in an attempt to destroy our relationship. We have not been able to come up with a way to get Missy to admit her guilt. Now I have a question… Where's Riley? I overheard the conversation with Charlie, so I know she's not around. I want to know where she is and when she is coming back."

Topanga looks at Lucas the entire time he is speaking, it makes her happy to know that after everything that happened, he was willing to let things go, for Riley's sake. He looks a little better since he walked in the door but she knows what she is about to say will change that. "Lucas, first let me say thank you for being so understanding. We should have and do know better. Riley is with family and we don't know when she is coming back."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lucas asks with a shaky voice.

"Lucas, there is more to the story than just those tweets" Cory begins but he is quickly interrupted by Farkle.

"Lucas, remember when you told me that nothing could make you turn back into Texas Lucas? We all know that something happening to Riley challenges that statement."

"Yes, I remember, that was when you tried to tie me down and she tried to block the window so I couldn't get in."

"Yeah, that. Well, ummm, it's like this…" Farkle is tripping over his words, not quite sure how to tell Lucas that Riley is being bullied again.

"Lucas, look there is no easy way to say this. Riley has been getting text messages for the last few months. All of them are from unknown numbers, all telling her that she isn't good enough for you. That one day you would realize that you could do so much better than her." Josh explains quickly.

"How long?" Lucas demands

"How long what?" Maya asks puzzled

"How long has she been getting these messages?" Lucas is struggling to remain calm.

"We're not too sure, we only found out about it when we showed her the tweets." Josh offers quietly.

Lucas, fearing he is about to lose his cool, turns around and walks out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Cory swears he can hear the dust hitting the floor. The entire room is deadly quiet, everyone is shocked.

Zay turns to leave as well "I'll be back in a few. It won't take me long to find him." He closes the door behind him.

"Dad, will Lucas be OK?" Auggie asks quietly.

"Eventually, he will Aug and until he is, we will help him any way we can."

Zay steps out of the building and starts to look for Lucas. Thankfully, he didn't have to look far, Lucas was sitting on a bench right outside the entrance. Zay walks over and sits down quietly. He waits for a minute or two for some acknowledgement.

When Lucas remains silent, Zay decides to get the conversation started.

"Lucas, you OK?"

"No Z, I'm far from OK. How could someone do that to Riley? Why is everyone so concerned about sticking their nose in our business?" Lucas replies quietly.

"I don't know man. Riley is as sweet as they come. Who knows what goes through people's heads?"

"I can't stand it. Everyone has something to say… Rucas is too innocent, Rucas has no chemistry, Rucas this, Rucas that. I'm so done with all of it. They just don't stop. I know she hears them talking about it in school, I didn't know that they were sending her texts too. She never said anything to me about them."

"I think that's what's upsetting you the most. That she didn't tell you."

"How can I protect her if she doesn't tell me when things happen?"

"Maybe her not telling you was her way of protecting you. I'm sure she thought if she told you, you would not react calmly. This may be her way of not upsetting you."

"Zay, what do I do? How do I get her to understand that I need to know when she's in trouble? It's killing me to think that she has been dealing with this on her own. We are a team, if something hurts her, it hurts me too. I need to see her. I need to make sure she understands that as far as I am concerned, there is no one better. Riley Matthews is perfect, just the way she is."

They remain on the bench for another few minutes, neither of them saying a word. They walk back into the building and grab the elevator to go back to the Matthews' apartment.

When they walk in, everyone is sitting quietly in the living room.

"I'm sorry I walked out. I needed a few minutes to calm down. I wasn't expecting to hear that."

"No problem Lucas. Believe me, we understand." Cory offers as he walks over to Lucas.

"Riley asked for some time for herself. When we talk to her next, I will ask her if she knows when she is coming home. I will be in touch with you as soon as I get off the phone with her. That's the best I can give you right now. I promise you, she is not alone and she sounds OK." Topanga reaches out and gives Lucas a hug. "Lucas, do you want us to tell her about losing your phone and the situation after?"

"If you think it will help, then please tell her about it. I only want what's best for her. If she is receptive to the information, can you please tell her that I miss her? That I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. If she wants to talk to me, she can call me at any time of the day. I will make sure my phone is always with me. While we are all here, let me give you my new number." Lucas rattles off his new phone number.

Everyone heads their separate ways. All are in better spirits now that they have straightened things out with Lucas. They are still worried about Riley but hope that once she knows those tweets were not from Lucas, that she will be ready to come home.

Lucas crawls into bed. He is mentally, physically and emotionally drained. He drifts off to sleep while planning his next date with Riley. He's not too sure when it will be, but he is certain it has to be epic.

A/N: The next chapter will focus on Riley and her progress. She is about to learn that sometimes the toughest person to forgive is yourself.


	7. Chapter 7: Perfectly Imperfect

Perfectly Imperfect

2 days later

Philadelphia

"Riley?"

"Yes, Aunt Morgan?"

"I'm heading out for a few appointments. Call me if you need anything."

"I will"

"See you later. Love you pretty girl!"

"Love you too Aunt Morgan!"

Riley is sitting on the couch attempting to read a book. Nothing has held her attention for more than a few minutes. Not reading, watching TV, video games, nothing. She knows that it's time she really takes a long hard look at herself. She has put it off long enough. She wants to be home and more importantly; she wants to stop hurting.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the front door. She rises from the couch and heads for the door. It's probably just a delivery she thinks to herself as she opens the door.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Matthews"

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Feeny. Please come in."

"Thank you. I'm sure you are wondering why I am here. Your father asked me to check in on you. He was afraid that you are not doing as well as he is being led to believe." Feeny explains as he sits down across from Riley.

She chuckles "That sounds like my dad. I'm still struggling but I am better than when I arrived."

"Miss Matthews, I have known your father and mother a very long time. If I can be of any assistance, please let me know. I've been told that I am a very good listener." He offers with a soft smile in her direction.

"Thank you sir but you would probably find my situation silly…"

"Why would you think that? You don't strike me as the type of young woman to run from silly problems. This tells me that no matter what anyone else thinks, this situation is far from silly for you. You may find it easier to discuss this with me as I don't know any of the other parties involved."

Riley opens her mouth to thank him again for his offer but before she can, she finds herself telling him all about it.

She tells him about both situations with bullies, about trying to be all things to all people, she even touches on the "brother" fiasco in Middle School. She was able to retain her composure until she started to talk about Lucas.

During her disclosure, Feeny switches seats so he is sitting next to her. At one point, he grabs her hand and pats it consolingly. During her breakdown when discussing Lucas, he gathers her in his arms like a grandfather would and hugs her until she calms down. It only takes a minute for Riley to gather herself.

"Guess I needed to talk about it even more than I thought." Riley murmurs quietly.

"It's quite alright Miss Matthews, Riley. That's why your father asked me to check in on you. He felt that you might need a new ear. Are you feeling a little better now?"

"A little bit. Now that you know everything, do you think I'm being silly and overreacting?"

"Riley, you are far from being silly and you are not overreacting, besides who am I to decide how you should react to situations that concern you? We all handle things differently, that's one of the things that make us unique. I would like to ask you a few questions if that's permissible?"

"Of course sir."

"I want you to do something for me…Let's reimagine the bully situation, instead of everything happening to you, imagine it happened to Miss. Hart. What would you say to her?"

"I would tell her that the people who truly care about her know that what the bully is saying is wrong. That she needs to listen to her friends and family. That just because the bully says it, doesn't mean it's true. People often throw rocks at the things that shine."

"Perfect answer Riley. Let me ask you this, why do you let everyone's opinions matter when you would preach the opposite to your friend? You know what the bully said is a reflection of them, not a statement about you."

Riley is quiet, she's not sure why so she doesn't answer.

"Now, why do you think you need to be the perfect daughter, sister, student and friend?"

"Mr. Feeny, you know my parents. How could I not be? I am the daughter of the most epic duo. I hear the stories they tell, the ones that everyone else tells. How else am I supposed to live up to them?"

"Riley, do you think your parents would love you less if you weren't perfect? You have only heard the good stories. There were tears, fights and struggles. Anyone who tells you they never fight with their significant other is stretching the truth. Your parents weren't perfect then and they certainly aren't perfect now. Perfection does not exist in human form. It is a fallacy. I'm certain if she had been asked, even Mother Teresa would have said she was not perfect. Your parents and friends love you for you. Always trying your best, always treating others with respect, doing good… these are more important than any made up "status". You need to look yourself in the mirror every day and ask yourself if you tried your best. Did you try to be the best daughter, sister, student and friend you could possibly be? On the days the answer is no, forgive yourself and do better the next day. Riley, in your search for "perfection" you have done yourself a grave disservice, you lost something vitally important."

"What did I lose?"

"Yourself. You have put everyone's needs before yours. You are just as important as everyone else. You have spent so much time and energy on everyone else, there is nothing left for you. You need to stop treating yourself as an afterthought. You need to put yourself on the top of your priority list. Now on to the subject of Mr. Friar. During your re-telling of the situation, not once did you mention that HE said the things you heard/saw. You have only shared assumptions. Has he ever told you that you weren't good enough for him? I'm sure he hasn't. Do you think you would have fallen in love with someone who could intentionally hurt you like that?"

Riley shakes her head no, her mind and heart are racing.

"If you love Lucas, flaws and all, why can't you accept that he loves you the same way? Consider everything that he has gone through with your dad. Young men these days do not seek parental permission before asking someone on a date. Your father has told me, on more than one occasion that young Mr. Friar is a respectful young man, that he has accepted Lucas' place in your life and he knows that you are in good hands when you are with him. Riley, you need to have more faith in yourself and the people that are important to you. Considering everything we just discussed, do you honestly think HE had anything negative to say?"

"No, I don't think he did. You are right, Mr. Feeny. Lucas would never intentionally hurt me. He has never once indicated that I wasn't everything he wanted."

"I didn't think so. Now, you need to stop trying to recreate the "epic" story of Cory and Topanga and create your own epic story. The story of Miss Matthews and Mr. Friar. I venture to guess; that one day you will realize that your story is as "epic" as theirs." Mr. Feeny rises to his feet and prepares to leave.

"Thank you Mr. Feeny. Thank you for taking the time to make me realize how important I need to be, to myself. For making me see things through another set of eyes." Riley reaches up and gives him the biggest hug she can.

Riley escorts him to the door

"Riley, please consider everything we discussed today. Then please consider going home. Your life is there. I'm sure your family and friends are anxiously awaiting your return."

"I will Mr. Feeny"

"One final thing before I go… Rucas?" Mr. Feeny questions with a knowing smile

"Yes?" She is taken aback when she hears that name.

"I ship it" He winks at her as he opens the door. Riley shakes her head in wonder. Her parents were right; he is an amazing person.

Standing on the front step about to knock is Lucas.

"Ahh, young Mr. Friar I presume?"

"Yes sir. I am Lucas Friar" Lucas offers his hand in greeting.

"Now I understand why her dad was so nervous about you." Mr. Feeny grins as he shakes his hand.

"Until we see each other again, Miss Matthews & Mr. Friar, continue to write your story." Mr. Feeny steps out of the house and slowly makes his way to his car.

After being certain that Mr. Feeny has made it to his car safely, Riley turns to look at Lucas. He is standing there, just staring at her.

"Lucas?" Riley questions in an effort to bring him back to the present.

"Yeah Riles?" He is still staring at her. He is certain that she can hear his heart pounding where she stands. He realizes that the knot in his stomach is gone. He feels himself relaxing now that he has seen her. He is afraid to make a move, lest he be rejected. He has no idea where they stand

"Lucas?" She questions again.

This time, he drags himself back to the present and when he focuses on her, she opens her arms.

He closes the short distance between them and gathers her in his arms.

"I've missed you Lucas."

"Me too. Riley about what happ…" Lucas starts to say but Riley puts her hand over his mouth to silence him.

"I love you Lucas. We have a lot to discuss but for right now, will you just hold me?"

"Don't you know that I would do anything for you Princess?" He picks her up and carries her to the couch. He sits down on the cushion, still holding her in his arms. She shifts a little to get comfortable.

"Riles?" Lucas asks quietly.

"Lucas?" comes the quiet reply.

"I love you too." He tells her as he leans down and gives her a soft kiss.

"I'm glad. We will talk everything through later. Is that OK?"

"That is absolutely OK." Riley looks at him with her trademark grin and her eyes are sparkling with happiness. For the first time in what feels like forever, he feels like he is whole again.

A/N: I struggled a little bit with this chapter. Mr. Feeny is a daunting figure to write. I hope I have portrayed him well.


	8. Chapter 8: Belonging

Belonging

Morgan comes home to find Lucas and Riley sound asleep. They have not changed positions since they sat down. Morgan grabs the blanket off the back of the couch and drapes it over them. She pauses a moment to look at their faces, even sleeping they have soft smiles on their faces. She leaves the living room and heads to her home office. She picks up the phone and dials the all too familiar number.

"Hey, it's me" she whispers into the phone

"And?" is the short reply

"They are asleep on the couch. Riley is curled up in his lap, head on his chest and he has a death grip on her. They are smiling even in their sleep."

"Good, that means things went well. I'm sure she will only be there another day or two. I'll be honest, I'm ready for my daughter to come home…." The reply is interrupted by another voice "I'm ready for her to come home too"

"Cory? Is that you?" Morgan asks

"Yes. I heard the phone ring and picked up the other extension. I don't know what you and my gorgeous wife did but if it means Riley is happy. I am forever grateful." Cory answers as he walks through the apartment looking for Topanga. She is sitting in the bay window in Riley's room, he stops in the doorway and just stares. Topanga looks up at him and finds herself mesmerized by the look on his face.

"Morgan, we will have to call you back." Cory says as he hangs up the phone.

"Thanks Morgan. I'll talk to you tomorrow" Topanga announces quietly and hangs up the phone. Cory walks over and sits next to her in the bay window. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her head to his chest.

"Have I told you lately how incredibly lucky I am?" Cory asks as he looks into her eyes.

"No." Topanga replies quietly.

"I am the luckiest man around. I have 2 healthy and soon to be happy kids. I met the love of my life when I was a kid myself and each day, I fall in love with her a little more. I don't know what I ever did to deserve this happiness and if I find out, you can bet I would do it over and over again."

"You're not the only lucky one Cor." Topanga begins to answer but is interrupted by her husband's kiss.

"I heard you on the phone with Mr. Feeny asking him to check up on Riley. I decided I needed someone to check up on her for me, so I called Lucas. He was more than happy to help." Topanga explains with a smirk.

"Nice job honey. I wish I had thought of that."

"Sometimes even the schemer gets out-schemed."

"That he does sweetheart. This is one time I don't mind being beaten at my own game."

They continue to sit cuddled together in the bay window for hours. Talking about all of the blessings they have, including the young man who so desperately loves their daughter.

Philadelphia

Riley, still on Lucas' lap, slowly begins to awaken. Before she even opens her eyes, she remembers where she is and how happy she was to see Lucas. She knows they still have a lot to talk about but for the moment she wants nothing more than to enjoy being in his arms. She opens her eyes and find herself staring into his eyes. He looks exhausted she thinks.

"Is this real or just another dream?" he whispers quietly.

"It's real" she whispers in return.

"Riley, I can't tell you how much I've missed you. How scared I was that I was never going to hold you in my arms again. How heartbroken I was when I thought that I was never going to see your smile or hear your laugh again." His eyes begin to cloud over.

She whimpers a bit as she sees his eyes begin to dull. She realizes that she has never seen his eyes looking at her with such emptiness.

"Lucas, I'm here. Right here and I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"Riles, I told your family that you are a big part of my future, but I lied… you are not just a part of my future, you ARE my future. I know we have to talk things through but I think we should wait until morning…. all I ask is that you promise me to tell me everything now and in the future. I can't fix what I don't know about and Princess, if something is hurting you, you can bet it hurts me too."

"Maddog, you are my future too. I promise, we will talk everything through in the morning. I'm done keeping things from you. If something ever happens again, we will figure it out together. Now, let's call it a night, I don't know about you but I haven't been sleeping well."

"I haven't slept well either, every time I closed my eyes all I could see was a life without you in it. Made me not want to close my eyes."

"I'm here now. Close your eyes and sleep. I will be here when you wake up." Riley tries to shift off of his lap.

"You aren't going anywhere. I'm not ready to let go just yet so we are sleeping just like this." Lucas murmurs as he tightens his arms and starts to fall asleep again.

"You won't hear any complaints from me." Riley replies as she snuggles back into his lap. It only takes a moment or two for them both to fall back to sleep.

The Matthews' residences in NY and Philly are quiet and content for the moment. They all know that there is still a long way to go, that there are still some painful discussions that have to be had but for the night, everyone is right where they need to be.

A/N: Next chapter will feature the discussion about everything that has happened. Also, Charlie has an epiphany.


	9. Chapter 9: Our Story

Our Story

The following morning, Morgan found Lucas and Riley still cuddled together on the couch. Lucas was awake but Riley was still out cold.

"Morning Lucas" Morgan whispers in an attempt to not wake Riley.

"Morning…." Lucas pauses in his greeting not quite sure how to address her.

"You can call me Aunt Morgan." Morgan replies with a smile.

"Good morning Aunt Morgan" Lucas dutifully replies.

They share a smile, neither realizing that Riley is only pretending to be asleep. She wants to hear how Lucas interacts with her Aunt. They are both so important to her that she wants to make sure they get along with each other.

"How are you?" Morgan questions quietly.

"Better now. I know we still have things to work through but as long as we are together, I don't think there is anything we can't handle." Lucas answers quietly and leans forward to press a kiss on Riley's forehead.

"I believe that as well. I guess it's safe to assume she was happy to see you?"

"Yes she was but not as happy as I was to see her. I've been so lost since everything happened. I haven't been able to eat or sleep. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing that I wanted and needed to react in a way that she would approve of…. Which meant controlling my anger."

"Did it upset you to think that you couldn't react the way you wanted to?" Morgan knows she is baiting him a bit but she wants to make sure he doesn't resent her niece. She has heard all of the Texas Lucas stories from when he was a young teen.

"Not at all. I don't understand why everyone keeps asking me that. Riley has never asked me to change. I WANT to change for her. I WANT to be a better man for her. She deserves the world; she has never asked for it but I want to give it to her just the same. I would do anything for her…" He pauses to take a deep breath "I would even give her up if she asked me to" he finishes with a quiver in his voice.

Riley deciding, she has heard enough, stretches and opens her eyes. "Morning Lucas" she says as she leans forward for a good morning kiss.

"Morning Princess." He replies as he complies with her unspoken request.

"Morning Aunt Morgan." Riley acknowledges her aunt's presence.

"Morning Riley." Her aunt smiles at her.

"Hey Lucas?" Riley asks softly

"Yeah Riles?" Lucas answers just as softly.

"I hope you know that I will never ask you to give me up. You're stuck with me mister." Riley says with her trademark grin.

Lucas grabs her face so he can stare into her eyes, he wants to make sure he has her full attention "As long as you know that you are stuck with me too. I meant what I said last night…Riles you aren't just a part of my future, you ARE my future…but we have some things to discuss first"

Morgan, sensing that they didn't need her for this part of the discussion, rises from her seat and excuses herself from the room.

"Where should we start?" Riley asks. Outwardly she appears calm but her insides are a riot of emotions. She knows that this is not going to be an easy conversation but it is a necessity.

"Let's start with the text messages you have been getting."

"Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were getting nasty messages again? After the first time it happened all those years ago, I thought we agreed that if anything was upsetting you, that you would talk to me about it. Riley, if something or someone hurts you, it hurts me too. I need to know these things. I need to know that you are OK. I, especially, need to know if someone is making you doubt me or making you doubt us."

"I wanted to tell you. A few times, I thought I had summoned up enough courage to tell you but I couldn't do it."

"Courage? Were you scared to tell me? Were you scared of me? Riley, you have to know that I would never hurt you."

"I wasn't scared of you, never have been and never will be but I was scared to tell you because I think deep down a part of me thought they might have been right."

"Right about what?"

"That I wasn't good enough for you. That you only tolerated my goofiness and quirks." Riley looks down at her folded hands in her lap. "That we were only together until you found someone better."

Lucas is stunned. He kneels down in front of Riley and lifts her head. The tears shimmering in her eyes cuts him to the quick. "Riley, babe, if anything you are too good for me. I love your quirks and as far as I'm concerned, there is no one better for me than you. I fell for you in 7th grade. Sure the first few years were a little rocky but that was because we were both so afraid of making mistakes and ruining our friendship. We won't go into detail about the "brother" fiasco but once we decided to give us a real shot, I found a level of happiness I didn't even know existed. Even when we have a disagreement, it never lasts for long. I don't want to be apart from you for petty reasons and most of our disagreements are petty. Tell me what I need to say or do, for you to understand that as far as I'm concerned, you are it. I love you. You are my future, my happily ever after, my everything."

The tears are silently streaming down Riley's face "I love you too Lucas. I don't want to be apart from you either. You are my knight in shining armor, my prince, my everything. I need to learn how to believe in you, in me and in us. One thing I've learned over the last few days, is that I need to work on learning how to love myself as much as I love everyone else. That it's OK if I'm not perfect. That you and I need to write our story and not the epic story of my parents. I also realized that I need to tell you when the doubts start to creep in, I'm not going to be able to stop them overnight."

"Riley, whatever you need, I'm here. The second the doubts start to creep in? I want you to tell me and I will take great pleasure in erasing them. Now, I need to tell you about the Twitter mess."

"Lucas, I know you didn't post those tweets. I'll admit to thinking you did, at first but then it was pointed out to me that you have never said anything like that to me. That you have never indicated that I wasn't everything you wanted. That I would never love someone who could intentionally hurt me like that"

"You are everything I want. That night you were sick and I went to the party? I lost my cellphone after texting you. From what Zay and I have been able to piece together, we think it was Missy who made the posts. She cornered me in the hallway when I was walking back to the living room. I must have dropped my phone then. I didn't realize it was missing until I went to text you from the restaurant that Zay and I went to, to watch the game. I tried to send you a text from his phone explaining that I had lost mine and that I would be late getting to your house the following morning because I was going to pick up a replacement on the way. I didn't know that the text never went through, I picked up a new phone and went to your window. Farkle closed the curtains and when I went to the front door, your Uncle Josh punched me and your dad threatened me telling me I had to stay away from you. I had no idea what was going on. It wasn't until later that day that Zay saw the tweets. We know that Missy has never been a fan of yours and she is certainly not a Rucas shipper. I waited to see you in school but you weren't there. I overheard your dad talking to Charlie and he said that you went away after dealing with some social media stuff over the weekend. I was so lost…everyone blamed me, no one could tell me when you were coming back."

"What do you mean everyone blamed you?"

"Your family, our friends…everyone except Zay"

"Did any of them ask you about it? Didn't they realize how out of character it would be for you to do that?"

"No…not at first. Your dad had us all over to your house the other night so we could all discuss it. They asked for my forgiveness, which I gave them. Then I told them that should you decide that you didn't want to see me anymore, it had to come from you. No messengers. You had to be the one to tell me."

"You really forgave them that fast?"

"Of course I did. They are important to you and you are important to me. Besides, they made their assumptions while trying to protect you. How could I hold a grudge when they were only looking out for your best interest?"

"Lucas… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry they did that to you."

"Princess, you don't have to apologize for them. Yes, it hurt but I would go through it again, a thousand times, as long as you were being protected."

They were both quiet for a moment as they thought about everything they had been through. How easily they could have lost each other over outside influences.

"Hey Maddog?" Riley asks with a big smile

"Yes, Princess Dancing Sunshine?" Lucas answers with a grin

"Can you take me home?"

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"I'm as sure as I'm going to get. As long as I have you by my side, I'm ready for whatever is waiting for me."

"You have me and I'm not going anywhere"

They walk out of the room in search of Morgan.

They are ready to head back to NY, to their families and friends, and to continue writing their story.

A/N: Only a few chapters left. Charlie's epiphany will be up next. I didn't want to ruin my Rucas feels by writing his chapter. It's funny how in the show he has never really been that bad but it is so easy to write him as a villain. Saw the stills for Bay Window today. They have inspired a one-shot that will be a companion to this story plus will be my entry into the one shot challenge.


	10. Chapter 10: Oh Charlie

Oh Charlie!

Everyone is sitting down for dinner in the Gardiner household. Charlie's two older sisters are talking animatedly between them as they sit in their seats.

"I'm telling you. It HAD to be her. Who else would do something so vile?" Liz, his oldest sister, asks rhetorically. Liz is a senior in high school.

"Do you really think so? Does she think that's going to work?" Lorie, his second oldest sister, questions as she is shaking her head. Lorie is a sophomore.

"What are you guys talking about?" Charlie asks as he joins everyone at the table.

"Wait…maybe you know. We were talking about what happened between Riley Matthews and Lucas Friar…they are in your class…. Do you know them?" Liz asks as she pours herself a glass of water.

Charlie feels his stomach drop to his feet, not quite sure where this is going. "Yes, I know them. What happened?"

"Apparently, Lucas posted some stuff on social media saying that he and Riley were no longer a couple. That he was going to be with Missy Bradford now. Is it true?" Lorie explains what she heard in class.

"Really? Wow…um…. I didn't hear about that." Charlie is stumbling over his words and starting to sweat. He wants them to drop this conversation but he doesn't know how to change it without being obvious.

"It doesn't make any sense if you ask me. They have been together forever and he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at Riley. Besides, he doesn't seem to be the type to broadcast his public life like that. He has always been referred to as Mr. Perfect." Liz remarks as she begins eating her dinner.

"The other rumor is that someone, somehow got a hold of his cellphone and posted on his account. The only person I can think of that would do something so vile is that little snotnose Missy Bradford. From what I've heard she has always had a thing for Lucas. Why would anyone do something like that? Is she that desperate for his attention? I wouldn't want to be with a guy just because I destroyed his relationship. Sloppy seconds? No thanks." Lorie explains what she heard this afternoon in math class.

"I hope they find out what happened for this boy's sake. If this girl did this, I hope she gets punished. I know I raised my kids better than that. You all know to treat others with respect. Right?" Charlie's mother chimes in from her spot at the head of the table. She looks at each of her children and waits until they meet her eyes and nod their heads.

Charlie excuses himself from the table, grabs his jacket and heads outside to the balcony. He is by himself for a few minutes, just staring into space. He doesn't like how he feels at the moment. He started having second thoughts about his role in this almost immediately after Missy started posting. Now he knows what he helped her do was disgusting and disrespectful. He is desperately trying to figure out what to do now.

Suddenly, his father is standing over him.

"You OK son?" His father asks as he sits next to him.

Charlie is quiet for a moment. "Not sure dad."

"Charlie, if you are in some kind of trouble, you need to tell me. I saw the look on your face in there. Did you have anything to do with what the girls were talking about?"

Charlie can only nod his head. He doesn't want to look at his father's face, certain that it will be equal parts anger and disappointment.

"Tell me the whole story, now. I need to know how much trouble you could be in."

Charlie takes a deep breath and tells him the whole story. Starting with the Semi-formal in 8th grade, through "Twittergate" to his conversation with Mr. Matthews.

"Oh Charlie. I'm disappointed in you. Your mother and I raised you better than that. You say you have feelings for this Riley?"

"Yes, Dad, I do."

"I don't think they are the right ones, son. If you truly cared about her, you would want her to be happy. No matter who it was that made her feel that way. We can't force the people we love to love us back. It sounds like she is happy with him and you shouldn't be trying to change that. What if you were in a relationship and someone did that to you? How would you feel if someone did that to one of your sisters?"

"I don't know what to do anymore Dad. I don't know how to make this right." Charlie reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the memory card from the phone he threw away, he starts to turn it over and over in his fingers.

"The first thing you need to do, is to come clean about your involvement. You have said in the past that you really liked Mr. Matthews, that he was a great teacher and seemed to be a nice guy. Start with him. Let him know everything you told me about the situation. It will help put his mind at ease to know who was behind the cyber abuse and that it has stopped. I would then ask him what he thinks about coming clean to Riley and Lucas. If they are trying to work through it, he might think it's best that you not talk to them about it at all. I would prefer that you accept full responsibility for your actions and deal with the consequences but in this case, it might be making things worse for Riley. She needs to be your main concern. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir"

"Charlie, you are a young man now on the verge of graduating High School. I can't put you in a time out and send you to your room anymore. The choices you make now could have very serious consequences. After you talk to Mr. Matthews, TOMORROW, I want you to explain everything to your mother and your sisters. I need to know that you have learned from this. The only way I can do that is to see how you handle their reactions. You know they are going to be upset with you and rightfully so. I'm disappointed that you were involved with this situation but I am thankful that you realized what damage you could have done. Now, let's get inside and warm up. You need time to prepare what you are going to say to Mr. Matthews." Charlie's dad stands and hold out his hand to help his son up from the bench. He pulls him into a hug.

"Thanks for the advice Dad. And for what it's worth? I'm disappointed in myself too" His father pats him on the back and they head inside to the warmth of the kitchen.

Charlie tracks Cory down in his classroom between the second and third periods of the day.

Charlie knocks on the door "Mr. Matthews, sir? If I may speak with you?" He is nervous but trying to not let it show.

"Sure, take a seat. What can I do for you Mr. Gardiner?" Cory asks with his usual demeanor.

"Sir, I have something I need to discuss with you. I would appreciate if you let me get through it without any interruptions" Charlie implores

"Go ahead Charlie" Cory replies as he sits down next to Charlie.

Charlie tries to speak but stammers and stutters at first. Cory remains silent, he's not sure what he has to talk to him about but by his reaction, it is something big.

Charlie takes a deep breath and starts his story.

During the course of it, Cory can feel himself getting irate but is trying his best to school his features. He doesn't want to scare Charlie away. He wants to know everything. When Charlie pauses after asking him his opinion about whether or not to confess to Lucas and Riley, Cory takes a moment to calm himself.

"Well Mr. Gardiner, I am very glad to know how this all happened and that it will not continue to happen. I'm not going to lie to you, I am very upset that you would do this to my daughter and to Lucas. If nothing else, I thought you were all at least on friendly terms. I will need to discuss this situation with Mrs. Matthews. I am inclined to not have you speak to Riley and Lucas as I think it can only do more harm at this point. I ask that you come see me tomorrow and I will let you know for sure."

"Yes, sir. One last thing. This is the memory card that was in Lucas' phone. I'm sure there is stuff on here that he would want to have." Charlie explains as he hands the memory card to Cory.

"I will see that he gets it" Cory replies as he puts the card in his pocket.

As Charlie heads towards the door he looks back at Cory and says "I will be back to see you tomorrow sir. For what it's worth, having to explain this to you and my parents, especially my mom, scares me more than explaining it to Lucas. There has never been any love lost between him and I but explaining it to people I respect? Much more difficult." Charlie puts his head down and walks out the door.

Later that night, Cory explains everything to Topanga. While they are discussing whether or not Charlie should explain things to Riley and Lucas, Riley calls.

"Hi Honey" Cory and Topanga say in unison.

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad. I'm going to make this a short call. Lucas is here and we are going out to dinner with Aunt Morgan. It's time for me to come home. We will be catching the 12:17pm train back to NY tomorrow, which means we should be arriving in time for dinner." Riley explains. For the first time in weeks, Riley sounds like herself. Her voice is clear and bright.

"Great honey. We will have all of your favorites ready." Topanga replies, relief evident in her voice.

"Can you ask Farkle, Maya and Josh to join us for dinner? I would really like to get everyone's questions out of the way all at once."

"Absolutely honey. I'll start contacting them right away." Topanga leaves the room in search of her cell phone.

"Honey?"

"Yes daddy?"

"Can I talk to Lucas for a second?"

"Sure, hang on a second" Cory can hear Riley calling for Lucas.

"Yes, sir?" Lucas asks as polite as always.

"Am I on speaker?" Cory asks

"No, sir"

"I want to tell you something but I need you to keep it between us."

"Ok, sir" Lucas is puzzled but attentive

"I know who is behind the social media posts. They have confessed their involvement to me and assured me that it will not continue. I believe them as they handed me the memory card from your phone. What I need to know now is do you want them to come clean to you and Riley? Her mother and I are in agreement that we don't want them to talk to you about it as we think it could possibly do more harm than good. Can you talk to Riley and let me know what you guys want?" Cory explains everything in a rush. At one point, he heard Lucas take a sharp breath but other than that, there has been no reaction.

There is a moment or two of silence, he can hear Lucas breathing deeply and he is certain that he is trying to control his anger.

"I will call you back in a few minutes" Lucas says as he hangs up the phone.

Cory hangs up the phone on his end, knowing that Lucas not addressing him as Sir is not a good sign but he has faith that Lucas would not want to upset Riley so he is certain that Lucas is doing his best to stay calm.

Less than 5 minutes goes by before the phone rings again

"Hello?"

"Hi Sir." "Hi Daddy!"

"Lucas…Riley. Did you discuss things?"

"Yes sir we did.'

"And?"

"Daddy, Lucas and I are in agreement, we don't need to know who was behind it. We want to work on getting past it and focusing on all of the good things that are happening."

"Lucas? Are you comfortable with that decision?"

"Yes sir. Since Riley is comfortable with it, so am I. We just want to enjoy our last few months of school. Besides, the important thing is that we know it's over and I am happy to know that I have not lost everything that was on that memory card."

"Ok. I will let them know. You guys enjoy your dinner and we will see you tomorrow night."

"Goodnight Sir. Goodnight Daddy"

Cory hangs up the phone and looks for Topanga.

She is anxious to know what the kids decided.

Cory explains their decision and the reasoning behind it.

"Cory, it sounds like our Riley is on her way back."

"Yes it does honey. She is starting to sound like her old sunshiny self."

"I'm glad that we know who was behind the twitter mess, I don't know that we will ever know who sent her the texts."

"She has a new number now and we will tell her to be aware of who she gives it to. Now, let's plan our menu for tomorrow night so I can go shopping first thing tomorrow." Topanga grabs a notepad and pen.

"First thing tomorrow? Don't you have to work?"

"Nope, I'm taking the day off. My baby girl is coming home." Topanga explains with a wide smile.

"I can't wait to have my family all together under one roof again. We only have a few months before she starts college, you know." Cory replies as he wraps his arms around his wife.

"Shush! I don't want to think about that just yet." Topanga admonishes quietly as she hugs him back.

They snuggle together on the couch and begin to work on their list.

"Lucas?" Riley questions as she walks up to him with their coats in her arms.

"Yeah Riles?" Lucas asks as he holds up her coat for her to slide her arms through.

"Thank you for not being upset by my not wanting to know the details. I just want to focus on us."

"Us…I like the sound of that and like I told your dad, as long as you are comfortable with that, so am I." Lucas answers as he puts his coat on.

Riley leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek. He looks down into her smiling eyes

"That's all I get? A kiss on the cheek?" he asks her happily.

"It's only our first date, in Philadelphia, sir. What kind of girl do you take me for?" She replies with a sassy wink as she wraps her arms around his waist and lays her head against his chest.

"What kind of girl? Princess, you are one of a kind and you are all mine." He murmurs softly as he kisses the top of her head. "Now let's go before Aunt Morgan comes in looking for us."

They head out to Morgan's car, ready to enjoy their last night in Philadelphia.

A/N: I made up the details about Charlie's family as we don't know much about them. We do know he has sisters that make him watch sappy movies and sit on him like he's a beanbag chair.

I chose not to have a confrontation between Lucas and Charlie as I felt that it would not be what Riley would want. She would not want Lucas to be put in a situation that would test his anger. The reassurance that it was over was enough for her to move on. Also, while important "Twittergate" was not the reason for her downfall, her inability to love and forgive herself was… it was just the final push.

Only 2 chapters left. Next chapter will be a quick time jump between their return, graduation and college.

The final chapter will bring us to the conclusion of chapter 1.

I have written a companion piece to this story. It is a one-shot in Lucas' POV. It will not be as detailed as this story was but touches on these key moments in their story as well as explaining their "present".


	11. Chapter 11: Life 20

Life 2.0

Things returned to semi-normal once Riley and Lucas got back from Philadelphia. Only semi-normal because now everyone was hyper-aware of Riley's moods and actions. It annoyed her at first but she soon realized that they all did it out of their love for her.

Lucas knew her insecurities were not going to go away overnight so he made sure that he paid particular attention to her when they were out in a group. Not that he needed a reason to focus on her, she was never really far from it any way, but he wanted to make sure there would be no more surprises.

There was a small hiccup about a month after they returned to school. Missy, in her never ending quest for Lucas' attention, decided to confront Riley in the hallway after school ended for the day. She knew that she would have a short window of time when Lucas would be on the field and Riley would be alone. Unfortunately for her, she miscalculated, greatly. Her plan was to tell Riley how Lucas would be better off with her instead of Riley, how after all these years, he knew how much she loved him, how she would do anything for him. What Missy didn't consider, in her calculations, was that Riley was much more secure in her relationship with Lucas, that Riley was no longer going to be pushed around and even more importantly, that she should not have tried to confront Riley at her locker, which was near the teachers' lounge. Imagine the look on Missy's face when she turned around after hearing "Ms. Bradford, why am I not surprised? You know we have a 0% tolerance policy for bullying. I heard everything you just said to Ms. Matthews. Please allow me to escort you to the principal's office. I'm sure they will want you present while they call your parents." Mr. Meyer explained as he stood there with his arms folded. Cory, standing just inside the lounge, had a huge grin on his face. He knows that as a teacher, he should be more stoic but as the dad of the "target" he was thrilled that she got caught. He knew she was behind the Twitter mess and so many other things that were done to Riley and Lucas. Since that confrontation was witnessed by a teacher, the punishment was harsh and swift. Missy, having been on the "watch list" for previous encounters was banned from attending all senior functions, including the prom, class trip and graduation. The principal knew the only way to really punish an "attention seeking repeat offender" was to remove them from all high-profile activities.

As graduation grew closer, Riley grew quieter. She assured everyone that she was fine and she was. She was just preparing herself for the inevitable. She knew that once they graduated, everything was going to change. She wasn't worried so much about her friendship with Maya or Farkle, but she was terrified about what was going to become of her relationship with Lucas. He was planning to attend college in Texas. She was convinced that he was going to meet someone and forget all about her but Riley, being Riley, was hesitant to mention the topic. Lucas knew something was on her mind and tried to get her to talk to him. She assured him that she was fine and would change the subject. Things came to a head one night while they were relaxing in Riley's room.

Riley was laying on her bed and Lucas was laying in the bay window. Moments like these would remind them how special their relationship was. How, at times, they didn't need to do or say anything, they were just happy to be in the presence of the other.

Lucas broke the silence, "Hey Riles?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you ready to start the next phase of our lives? College is just around the corner."

"Umm…I guess….on second thought, no, not really" Riley replies quietly.

Lucas is shocked by her answer.

"What's wrong Princess? I thought you would be excited to be moving on to NYU. You, Maya, Josh and…."

Riley cuts him off mid-sentence "No you. Why would I be excited?" she replies glumly.

Lucas smiles "What if I told you that you should be excited because I WILL be there?"

Riley jumps off of her bed "Why?" "What?" "How?" she stutters

"Relax Princess! I got accepted to NYU too."

"But I thought Texas was your dream?"

"It was and then you fell in my lap. Now, my dreams all include you."

Riley is quiet for a moment and then bursts into tears.

"Riles! What's wrong? I thought this would make you happy!?" Lucas questions frantically as he jumps up from the bay window and attempts to take her in his arms.

"You thought it would make me happy? You big jerk! I'm over the moon. I've been preparing myself for our goodbye. You don't know how scared I've been knowing that I was going to lose you!" Riley yells back at him, flailing her arms.

Lucas finally succeeds in wrapping her in his arms.

"Riley, calm down. No matter what happened, there was never going to be a goodbye between us. It was never an option. At worst, it would have been an "I'll see you soon" followed by my racking up the frequent flier miles coming back here to see you."

"Is this what you really want? Lucas, I don't want to hold you back. Don't feel you have to do this" She nestles her head into his chest.

He lifts her head so that he is looking into her eyes. "Riley, I wasn't lying when I told you that you are my future. I decided to apply to NYU for both of us. I knew I wouldn't be happy being so far away from you. I am at my happiest when you are at my side. The programs are on par with each other. The deciding factor for me was knowing that I would be able to chase my career dreams without having to sacrifice my life dreams. One day, in the not so distant future, I will fulfill my dream of being a vet AND my dream of you being Mrs. Riley Friar. You think Maya was in it for the long game? I'm in it too but for…eternity. I love you Riley Matthews"

The smile that breaks out on Riley's face is bright enough to rival the brightest sun. "I love you too, Lucas Friar"

"I would like us to go to Texas during the summer and so I can intern with Doc Johnson. Pappy Joe has been begging me to bring you back for an extended visit."

"I would love to spend summers in Texas with you Lucas. I love spending time with your family. I love hearing all of their stories about you as a kid….but I have to earn my keep. I need to do something. I need to either get a job or be given chores to do around the house and the ranch. I don't want to take advantage of anyone."

"Well Princess, you can take advantage of me whenever you want." Lucas replies with a smirk. "You know I love it when you do."

"That's not quite what I had in mind Mr. Friar." Riley giggles in reply

"I know it's not but you presented me with an opportunity so I had to take it. So, we have a plan? We'll summer in Texas and go to NYU… together?"

"I think so but you have to promise me Lucas, that if you are not happy in NYU and want to go home, that you will."

"Riley, when I'm with you, I am home. But you have to promise me that if you are not happy in Texas, that you will tell me."

"I will, you are my future too Lucas and if we need to separate a little now to insure our future, I'll be OK with that"

"I wouldn't be OK with that but I will do whatever I have to, to make sure you stay my smiley, happy Riley."

"With you by my side…how can I be anything else?"

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a few more minutes and then went in search of her parents to tell them the news.

A/N: The next chapter will be the last. It will bring us back to the start of this story. There will be a companion piece tentatively titled "Girl Meets World 2.0". It is in Lucas' POV.

A/N2: Some of you have asked me if my faith in Rucas is shaken…. It is not. I refuse to think that clothing choices, food choices and other nonsensical things indicate which "ship" is endgame. It wouldn't make sense for the writers to give away anything at this point. At the end of the day, their jobs depend on ratings…to give away the ending this early, would only cause them to lose viewers.


	12. Chapter 12:Summer,shootaround & Forever

Summers, Shootarounds and Forever

Life moved at the speed of light for Riley and Lucas but they had never been happier. In the days immediately following their graduation from High School, they packed up and went to spend the summer in Texas. This began the cycle. At NYU, they would spend whatever free time they had together.

Summers were another story. While Lucas interned with Doc Johnson, Riley learned how to adjust to life on the ranch. To the surprise of no one, she adapted quickly and thrived with the added responsibility. It took some time to convince Pappy Joe that she wanted to contribute. She had never been a girl of leisure and she wasn't about to start now.

Nightly, Lucas and Riley would cuddle together in a hammock under the stars. Conversation was kept to a minimum, they were content to just be together. When they did converse, it was to share their dreams for their future.

Maya, Farkle, Smackle and Zay all made it a point to come for an extended visit each summer. Josh, Cory,Topanga and Auggie even made it down to visit a few times. They all marveled at how Riley took to Texas life with ease.

After graduating NYU, they decided to spend a few weeks playing tourists in NYC. They had been on the go for so long, they hadn't been able to experience "The City that never sleeps" for the last few years. They spent time exploring the city where they met. They went for "destination-less" rides on the subway. They went to all tourist spots, Broadway, Central Park, Statue of Liberty and took the Circleline tour around Manhattan. They held each other tightly as they both wept when visiting the hallowed grounds of Ground Zero and remembering the catastrophic loss of life that fateful September morning. It was a unique experience. They had spent so much of their lives in this city when they were too young to appreciate its rich history. Now as young adults, ready to move on to the next phase of life, they took the time to really understand how fate had its hand in their meeting that first day. They realized how lucky they were to find their soulmate in a city where millions of strangers pass each other on the streets as they go about their day.

One night, after playing tourist for the day, Riley joined Maya for dinner and a movie. That same night, Lucas had dinner with Cory, Topanga and Auggie. (He had already sought and gotten approval from Maya and Farkle.) He knew it was time for him to begin the next phase of his life, with his Riley at his side, not as his girlfriend but as his wife. After receiving permission from each, they were all curious to know when he was going to "pop the question". He had been planning it for the better part of a year, he knew that he needed something as unique and quirky as the woman who held his heart. He shared his plans with her family and took great pride in himself when they all exclaimed their love for his plan.

He surprised Riley with courtside seats to a game between her beloved Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks.(Thank you and ) Riley made her way to their seats while Lucas "stopped in the restroom" and at the concession stand.

Riley, alternated between watching the Knicks complete their pregame shootaround and answering the never ending stream of text messages from Maya and Farkle. She was so busy texting that she automatically booed with the crowd when the Mavericks took the court, never once looking up from her phone. She was quickly brought to attention when a ball was "accidently" thrown at her feet. She grabbed the ball with the intent of throwing back in the direction from which it came. At the last possible second, she noticed that there was something scribbled on the ball. She pulled her hands back and felt her eyes go wide when she realized it said "Marry Me Princess Riley" She jumped to her feet, head wildly spinning around looking for Lucas, she didn't even realize that her family was sitting a few rows behind her. The crowd began to chant her name and when she turned back to the court, there kneeling before her, wearing a Mavericks uniform, was Lucas. She quickly jumped into his arms, shaking her head yes and crying. After he stood and spun her around a few times, he gently put her back on her feet and watched in amazement as she handed him his Knicks sweatshirt, explaining that if he didn't immediately cover the opposition's colors, she was going to have to rethink her decision. The crowd laughed and applauded at the speed in which he put the sweatshirt on.

The rest of her family joined them courtside and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves as the Knicks buried the Mavericks 127-97. During their walk home, Riley enjoyed teasing Lucas about her inability to decide which moment made her happier, the Knicks winning or his proposal. As he chased her down and began tickling her, she confessed that the highlight of her life so far was his proposal….but it just beat the Knicks win.

Present

"Honey? Are you ready?" Cory asks bringing Riley back to the present. She smiles as her eyes meet her dad's in the mirror.

"Yes, daddy. I am more than ready." She replies with her trademark smile. Topanga turns Riley towards the door and lowers her veil.

"You are stunning." Cory begins "I know there were times when you thought you and Lucas weren't meant to be. I knew the story of Rucas was going to be even more epic than Corpanga was. You have always been the absolute best daughter, sister and friend you knew how to be but with Lucas' help you became so much more secure in yourself." Cory pauses to wipe the tears from his eyes. Topanga picks up where he left off "That is all we ever wanted for you Riley. For you to make the world your own. You and Lucas have made us very proud. People change people, that is the secret of life. You have changed each other for the better. Now it's time to walk you down the aisle so you can begin your happily ever after."

As Riley begins her march down the aisle, her arm wrapped around her father's, she is captivated by the emerald green eyes of her forever. Their road may have had a few potholes and detours along the way but she wouldn't want to be walking towards her future with anyone else. She was a klutz, he was subway boy, but together they were nothing short of perfection.


End file.
